Device for dispensing shower water in a closed loop, and shower equipment including such a device

ABSTRACT

Device for distributing shower water in a closed circuit designed for a shower having a shower pan, at least one element for spraying water, connected to a water supply network via a device for controlling water flow, whereby the device includes a set of intake element and redistribution element connected to at least one element for spraying water, provided with an element for starting and stopping, and an element for closing the outlet for draining the shower pan. The intake element includes an intake pump also positioned on the base of the shower pan so that the pump is able to draw in water from the shower pan and to feed it back, via the water redistribution element to the element suitable for spraying water, the pump being isolated from the shower space by being arranged in a housing provided in the shower pan or essentially at the raised edge thereof.

This invention relates to the field of bathroom equipment and more particularly shower installations, and it has as its object a shower device in a closed circuit and a shower installation that is equipped with said device.

It is known that a conventional shower comprises means for spraying water, of the shower-head or sprayer type, set of hydro-massage nozzles or other means for spraying water in the field of balneotherapy, attached to a device that makes it possible to control and/or to stop water consisting of one or more mixing valves or mixer taps that are connected to the water supply network, consisting of pipes for supplying hot and cold water.

It is also known that a shower space is delimited by at least one wall side and/or at least one premanufactured partition element and that a shower pan that is designed to recover shower water, generally consisting of a tub that is square or rectangular in shape, quarter round or with a cut pan, is attached in the base of the shower, whereby the water is drained by the outlet of the shower pan into the circuit for draining waste water.

Showers are also known in which the set of means for spraying water and shower faucets is integrated into a shower panel or a shower column, extending vertically, essentially above the raised edge of the shower pan.

However, in the case of showers that comprises a hydro-massage installation, the time spent on a shower is relatively long, which entails significant water consumption; this is expensive for the user and contrary to savings of water to be achieved from an environmental standpoint.

To eliminate these drawbacks, certain showers have a water distribution device with a closed circuit that makes it possible to reduce the water consumption by recycling it in the shower. Such a device generally consists of taking a sample of the water in the shower pan, connected to a pump on the outside of said pan, and supplying water spraying means.

Other closed-circuit shower installations that provide for placing the pump of the shower pan close to and outside of the latter to avoid the use of additional pipes, i.e., by positioning said pump essentially at the same level as the pan, in such a way that the body of the pump is located below the level of water contained in said pan, so as to be completely filled with water to be able to start up said pump, are also known. Thus, after the outlet of the shower pan is closed, the water is drawn in by the pump, via a short pipe that empties into the base of the pan and a filter that retains the particles, for next supplying separate means for spraying water through a closed circuit for redistribution of water.

However, the positioning of the pump outside of the shower pan and its bulk do not make it possible to use this type of closed-circuit shower installation with shower pans of low height, more particularly able to be embedded, designed to accommodate a reduced water level. In addition, these installations generally make it necessary to move the shower pan to access various constituent elements of the closed circuit and in particular the pump, which does not allow easy maintenance.

This invention has as its object to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a closed-circuit shower device for a shower installation allowing the implementation of a shower pan of low height that is designed to hold a low level of water and that can advantageously be embedded while allowing easy maintenance of said device.

The shower device in a closed circuit according to this invention is designed more particularly to be installed in a shower of the type that is equipped with a shower pan, at least one means for spraying water, connected to a water supply network by means of a device that makes it possible to control and/or stop the water, whereby said device comprises, on the one hand, a set of intake and redistribution means connected to at least one means that is suitable for spraying water provided with a means for starting and stopping, and, on the other hand, a means for closing the outlet for draining the shower pan, and it is characterized essentially in that said intake means essentially consist of an intake pump, also positioned on the base of the shower pan, in such a way that said intake pump is able to draw in the water from the shower pan, in particular a low level (h) of water, and to feed it back, via the water redistribution means, to the at least one means that is suitable for spraying water, in that the intake pump is isolated from the shower space by being arranged in a housing space that is provided in the shower pan or approximately at the level of the raised edge of said shower pan, and in that said housing space that houses the intake pump comprises a means for access to said intake pump and at least one communication opening that is essentially located at the base of the shower pan, making possible the passage of the water to said intake pump.

Closed circuit is defined as a circuit that does not consume the water from the network during operation but only the recycled water that is contained in the shower pan.

According to this invention, the shower pan will preferably be of low height and designed more particularly to be embedded, and the intake pump will be isolated from the shower space in a housing space that houses said pump.

This invention will be better understood using the description below, which relates to a preferred embodiment, provided by way of nonlimiting example and explained with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a partial transverse cutaway view of a shower that integrates a shower water distribution device in a closed circuit, according to this invention,

FIG. 2 a shows a perspective view of a shower stall that comprises a device according to this invention in a preferred embodiment of a housing space that houses the intake pump,

FIG. 2 b shows a detail view of a shower column of the device according to this invention that allows access into the housing space,

FIG. 3 a shows a bird's eye view of a particular arrangement, in a shower pan, of the housing space of the device according to this invention, in the shower pan 1,

FIG. 3 b shows a bird's eye view of another arrangement of the housing space shown in the preceding figure, in the shower pan 1,

FIG. 4 shows a larger-scale perspective detail view of the upper portion of the shower stall shown in FIG. 2 a,

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a shower installation in a particular embodiment of the shower space housing the intake pump of the device according to this invention,

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the communication opening between the housing space and the base of the shower pan of the device according to this invention,

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a variant of the housing space according to FIG. 5,

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a shower pan according to this invention that is installed in a wall space that comprises a wall recess that is designed to accommodate a reinforcement of said pan,

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a shower installation that comprises a housing space that is integrated into a shower seat located in the shower space of the pan.

The figures show a shower device in a closed circuit, according to this invention, designed more particularly to be installed in a shower of the type that is equipped with a shower pan 1, at least one means 2 for spraying water connected to a water supply network 3 by means of a device that makes it possible to control and/or to stop the water, shown by arrows, such as mixing valves 4 and/or mixer taps, and comprises, on the one hand, a set of intake means 5 and water redistribution means, such as pipes 6, connected to at least one means that is suitable for spraying water 2′, 15′, which set is provided with a means for starting and stopping, not shown, and, on the other hand, a means for closing, not shown, the outlet 7 for draining the shower pan 1.

According to this invention, said intake means essentially consist of an intake pump 5, also positioned at the base 1′ of the shower pan 1, preferably at the outlet 7 for draining waste water or at a slightly higher level, in such a way that said intake pump 5 is able to draw in the water, preferably a low level h of water, from the shower pan 1, and to feed it back, via the water redistribution means 6, to the means that is/are suitable for spraying water 2′, 15′.

In each case according to this invention, the intake pump 5 is isolated from the shower space by being arranged in a housing space or compartment 8 that houses said intake pump 5 that can be provided in the shower pan 1 (FIG. 3 a and FIG. 3 b) or essentially at the raised edge 1″ of the shower pan 1 (FIG. 1 and FIG. 5). In this latter case, the intake pump 5 will preferably be located at the median level of one of the sides of the pan 1 (FIG. 3 a) or at an angle (FIG. 3 b).

In each case according to this invention, the housing space 8 that houses the intake pump 5 advantageously comprises a means 15 for access in particular to the intake pump 5 and at least one communication opening 10 that is essentially located at the base 1′ of the shower pan 1, making possible the passage of the water to said intake pump 5 (FIG. 6 and FIG. 7).

Preferably, the shower pan 1, according to this invention, is a pan that is of low height, advantageously of small depth, designed more particularly to be embedded. In the case where the embedding of such a pan cannot be achieved or is not desired, such a pan can nevertheless be placed on a floor that is finished with a suitable holding structure.

The shower space that is shown in FIG. 3 a and in FIG. 3 b can be a production of a conventional shower stall that is then equipped with a closing device, not shown, of the outlet of the pan for constituting the water recess that is necessary to make the device operate according to this invention.

The housing space 8 that houses the intake pump 5 can be formed partially or totally by a shower column 15 and/or by a shower partition 13. Respectively, such a shower column 15 or such a shower partition 13 can comprise at least one means that is suitable for spraying water 2′, 15′.

In each case according to the invention, a means that is suitable for spraying water 2′, 15′ is more particularly designed to be used in a recycling configuration of the shower water, for example for the purpose of use in balneotherapy or hydro-massage, in which the time spent on a shower is relatively long. It can consist of, for example, nozzles 2′ or other means of hydro-massage and balneotherapy such as micro-perforations 15′ that are made respectively in the shower column 15 and/or in the shower partition 13.

Shower column 15 is defined as a vertical structure that is preferably flat or essentially flat, such as an elongated plate or a shaped structure, for example in the shape of a U. A shower column 15 can also have a structure with a chimney type of cross-section, overall polygonal or round, more particularly when the latter is installed in the inside space of the pan, for example centrally.

Likewise, shower partition 13 is defined as a partition that can have a flat or curved shape and can be connected or combined with one or more other shower partitions 13 that optionally form angles between them. Such a shower partition 13 can constitute one side of the shower or two adjacent sides that form between them a certain angle, preferably an angle of approximately 90°.

A shower partition 13 can be arranged above the shower pan at a certain distance from a wall side 12 or another separation wall, in contact or not with the base 1′ of the shower pan 1 so as to create a housing space 8 between the shower partition 13 and the wall side 12 or another separation wall, making it possible to house the intake pump 5 (FIG. 2 a) and, advantageously, the technical elements that are associated with said pump 5.

Furthermore, the housing space 8 that houses the intake pump 5 can be formed partially or totally by a shower column 15 that is integrated in a shower partition 13. In this case, the shower partition 13 and/or the shower column 15 can respectively comprise a means that is suitable for spraying shower water 2′, 15′ that is connected to water redistribution means 6 and optionally a means 2 for spraying water that is connected to the water supply network 3.

For this purpose, in a particular embodiment of a shower partition 13, the latter can comprise a scalloping 14, made over all or part of the height of said shower partition 13, preferably axially. The scalloping 14 is designed more particularly to be tightly closed on the inner space side of the shower pan 1 by a shower column 15 (FIG. 2 a, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5), which is preferably flat or essentially flat, in such a way as to create a continuity of surface with the shower partition 13.

According to an additional characteristic of this invention, a shower partition 13, partially or totally, and/or a shower partition 15, partially or totally, are advantageously made removable to allow access to the inside of the housing space 8 that houses the pump 5 and to close the latter tightly for the purpose of being able to ensure easy maintenance of the device according to this invention.

As can be seen in FIG. 2 a and in FIG. 4, a U-shaped shower column 15 can be made integral by its two free ends, respectively, at the two longitudinal edges 16 of the scalloping 14 that is made in the shower partition 13 and, advantageously, by means of sections 15″ comprising grooves 15′″ that are designed to accommodate the free ends of said U in an airtight manner.

When the housing space 8 that houses the intake pump 5 is provided essentially at the raised edge 1″ of the shower pan 1, the intake pump 5 can be housed in a reinforcement 9 that is made in the raised edge 1″ of the shower pan 1, in such a way that the base 1′ of the shower pan 1 extends into the reinforcement 9 that forms an integral part of said housing space 8 (FIG. 1, FIG. 5 and FIG. 8). The reinforcement 9 that is designed to accommodate the intake pump 5 makes it possible to release the inside space of the shower pan 1. The reinforcement 9 can form in particular a projecting part of the outer side of the pan 1 (FIG. 8).

The shower pan 1 that is equipped with a reinforcement 9 can be used in a wall space (FIG. 8), and the reinforcement 9, more particularly adjacent to one or more wall sides 12, can advantageously be inserted into a recess 12′ that is made in the corresponding wall side 12 of said wall space. The recess 12′ constitutes—with the reinforcement 9—a housing space 8 that makes it possible to house the intake pump 5 and, advantageously, elements that are associated with said pump 5.

In this case, a shower column 15, not shown, which is flat, essentially flat or U-shaped, can close the recess 12′ by being made integral with the corresponding wall side 12, on both sides of said recess 12′.

If reference is now made to FIG. 6, it is possible to see that a communication opening 10 can be produced by the space that is delimited between the lower edge or base, respectively, of the shower partition 13 or the shower column 15, and the base 1′ of the shower pan 1.

Thus, in a configuration of the shower pan 1 that comprises a reinforcement 9, the shower partition 13 and/or the shower column 15 can be positioned approximately at the inside edge of the shower pan 1 above the reinforcement 9, as can be seen in FIG. 6.

In a configuration of a conventional shower pan 1, without reinforcement 9, the shower partition 13 and/or the shower column 15 can be positioned in the shower pan 1, in contact or not with the base of the shower pan 1 (FIG. 7).

When the shower partition 13 and/or the shower column 15 is/are in contact with the base 1′ of the shower pan 1, the communication opening 10 can be a cut that is made essentially in the lower edge, respectively, of the shower partition 13 (FIG. 8) or the shower column 15.

If reference is made to FIG. 7, a thick shower partition 13 can be seen that is flattened against a wall side 12 or another separation wall, above the raised edge 1″ of a side of the shower pan 1 that is adjacent to the wall side 12 or another wall. Such a shower partition 13 advantageously comprises a scalloping 14 that is made in its base and that extends over all or part (dotted lines) of its height.

For this purpose, the thickness of the shower partition 13 is determined in such a way that the latter projects beyond the raised edge 1″ of the shower pan 1 into the inside space of the latter, which makes it possible, on the one hand, to form, using the longitudinal scalloping 14, a housing space 8 in the shower pan 1 to receive an intake pump 5, not shown, in such a way as to isolate the latter from the shower space and, on the other hand, between the low part of the shower partition 13 and the base 1′ of the pan 1, a communication opening 10 for the passage of water to the intake pump 5. The thus created housing space 8 also makes it possible to house the technical elements that are associated with said pump 5.

The scalloping 14 is designed more particularly to be tightly closed on the inner space side of the shower pan 1 by a shower column 15.

Finally, it can be seen that the shower partition 13 that occupies a side of the shower pan 1, with a rectangular shape, leaves the three other sides available to be able to support a shower floor such as a grating 1′″, shown in FIG. 2 a.

Such a thick shower partition 13 thus makes it possible to propose a housing space 8 that houses the intake pump 5 that is located in the shower pan 1 that does not require reinforcement 9 and that is consequently applied to all types of current pans. It will be the same for a shower partition 13 and/or a shower column 15, described above, arranged at a certain distance from a wall side 12 or another separation wall and being located above the inside space of the shower pan 1.

In a particular embodiment of the water redistribution means 6, the latter can be connected, via a connecting means 6′, to the water supply network 3, and a valve device, controlled by the means for starting or stopping, can ensure the redistribution of water from the intake pump 5 or the distribution of water from the water supply network 3, respectively to the at least one means that is suitable for spraying water 2′, 15′ and/or the at least one means 2 for spraying water.

According to an additional characteristic of the invention, the communication opening 10 comprises a means for filtering water that comes from the shower pan 1 that preferably consists of a perforated element, such as a grid filter or a sieve 11 (FIG. 6).

FIG. 5 shows a shower installation that is designed to accommodate the device according to the invention that consists of a shower space 18 that integrates a shower pan 1, preferably of small depth and more particularly embedded, and a housing space 8 that is designed to house the intake pump 5.

The shower space 18 can be formed in a one-piece shower stall, embedded or not.

A shower pan that is of low height or small depth is defined, according to the invention, as a shower pan whose height is between, approximately, 5 to 12 cm.

Such a shower space 18 can have an overall polygonal shape, for example rectangular or square, or mixed, for example quarter round.

In contrast, the housing space 8 that houses the intake pump 5 can be formed by the space that is delimited by a shower partition 13 and two wall sides 12, which partition 13 overtops the inside edge of a reinforcement 9, made in the raised edge 1″ of the shower pan 1, designed to accommodate the intake pump 5.

It can also be seen that a lateral partition 13′″ closes one of the lateral sides of the housing space 8 that overtops the shower pan 1 and that the other opposite lateral side is closed by a wall side 12 that forms a right angle with the other wall side 12 of the shower space, whereby the latter is parallel to the shower partition 13.

A scalloping or longitudinal window 14 is made axially in the shower partition 13, separating the latter into two portions 13′ and 13″ that are located on both sides of the reinforcement 9 that is made in the raised edge 1″ of the shower pan 1. The window 14 is designed to be tightly closed by a shower column 15, which is preferably flat or essentially flat, overtopping the raised edge 1″. The distance between the lower edge of the shower column 15 and the base 1′ of the pan 1″ then defines a communication opening 10 that makes possible the passage of water up to said intake pump 5 via a filtering means 11 of said water (FIG. 6) that is integrated in the communication opening 10.

If reference is now made to FIG. 9, it can be seen that a shower space 18 can advantageously comprise an element that is made for sitting, such as a shower seat 20, for example like a rectangular parallelepiped, integrating a housing space 8 that houses an intake pump 5 according to the invention, not shown.

The seat 20 can also be overtopped by a shower column 15, connected or forming an integral part of the unit that consists of the seat 20 and the housing space 8 that houses the intake pump 5.

Furthermore, it can be seen in FIG. 9 that a communication opening 10 is made in the housing space 8 that forms the seat 20, at the base 1′ of the shower pan 1, for making possible the passage of water that is obtained from the latter up to said intake pump 5.

The communication opening 10 can comprise a means 11, not shown, for filtering the water that penetrates the housing space 8 that houses the intake pump 5.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments that are described and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are possible, in particular from the standpoint of the composition of various elements or by substitution of equivalent techniques, without thereby exceeding the field of protection of the invention. 

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A device for distributing shower water in a closed circuit designed more particularly to be installed in a shower of the type that is equipped with a shower pan (1), at least one means (2) for spraying water, connected to a water supply network (3) by means of a device (4) that makes it possible to control and/or stop the water, whereby said device comprises, on the one hand, a set of intake means (5) and redistribution means (6) connected to at least one means that is suitable for spraying water (2′, 15′), provided with a means for starting and stopping, and, on the other hand, a means for closing the outlet (7) for draining the shower pan (1), whereby said intake means consist of an intake pump (5), also positioned on the base (1′) of the shower pan (1), in such a way that said intake pump (5) is able to draw in the water from the shower pan (1), in particular a low level (h) of water, and to feed it back, via the water redistribution means (6), to the at least one means that is suitable for spraying water (2′, 15′), whereby the intake pump (5) is isolated from the shower space by being arranged in a housing space (8) that comprises a means (15) for access to said intake pump (5) and at least one communication opening (10) that is essentially located at the base (1′) of the shower pan (1), making possible the passage of the water to said intake pump (5), a device that is characterized in that the housing space (8) that houses the intake pump (5) is essentially provided at the raised edge (1″) of the shower pan (1) and in that the intake pump (5) is housed in a reinforcement (9) that is made in said raised edge (1″) in such a way that the base (1′) of the shower pan (1) extends into said reinforcement (9) that forms an integral part of said housing space (8).
 17. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the shower pan (1) is a pan of low height that is designed more particularly to be embedded.
 18. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the housing space (8) that houses the intake pump (5) is partially or totally formed by a shower column (15), which is preferably flat, essentially flat or shaped overall in a U, and/or by a shower partition (13).
 19. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the housing space (8) that houses the intake pump (5) is formed partially or totally by a shower column (15) that is integrated in a shower partition (13).
 20. The device, according to claim 18, wherein the shower partition (13) and/or the shower column (15) comprise(s) respectively at least one means that is suitable for spraying shower water (2′, 15′).
 21. The device, according to claim 18, wherein the shower partition (13), partially or totally, and/or the shower column (15), partially or totally, is/are made removable to allow access to the inside of the housing space (8) that houses the pump (5).
 22. The device, according to claim 18, wherein the communication opening (10) is made by the space that is delimited between the lower edge, respectively, of the shower partition (13) or the shower column (15), and the base (1′) of the shower pan (1).
 23. The device, according to claim 18, wherein the communication opening (10) is made by a cut that is made approximately in the lower edge, respectively, of the shower partition (13) or the shower column (15).
 24. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the shower pan (1) is used in a wall space and wherein the reinforcement (9) of the shower pan (1) is inserted into a recess (12′) that is made in a wall side (12) of said wall space and wherein, if necessary, a shower column (13) closes the recess (12′) by being tightly connected to the corresponding wall side (12) on both sides of said recess (12′).
 25. The device, according to claim 18, wherein the shower partition (13) comprises a scalloping (14), made over all or part of its height, delimiting a housing space (8) that houses the intake pump (5), whereby said scalloping (14) is preferably designed to be tightly closed by a shower column (15).
 26. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the water distribution means (6) are connected via a connecting means (6′) to the water supply network (3) and wherein a valve device, controlled by the means for starting or stopping, ensures the redistribution of water from the intake pump (5) or the distribution of water from the water supply network (3) respectively toward the at least one means that is suitable for spraying water (2′, 15′) and/or the at least one means (2) for spraying water.
 27. The device, according to claim 16, wherein the communication opening (10) comprises a means for filtering the water that comes from the shower pan (1), preferably consisting of a perforated element such as a grid filter or a sieve (11).
 28. A shower installation designed to accommodate the device according to claim 16, which comprises a shower space (18) that integrates a shower pan (1) with a small depth, more particularly embedded, and a housing space (8, 9) that is designed to house the intake pump (5).
 29. The shower installation, according to claim 28, wherein the shower space (18) is formed in a one-piece shower stall.
 30. The shower installation according to claim 28, wherein the shower space (18) comprises an element (20) that is made for seating and that integrates the housing space (8) that houses the intake pump (5).
 31. The device, according to claim 17, wherein the housing space (8) that houses the intake pump (5) is partially or totally formed by a shower column (15), which is preferably flat, essentially flat or shaped overall in a U, and/or by a shower partition (13).
 32. The device, according to claim 17, wherein the housing space (8) that houses the intake pump (5) is formed partially or totally by a shower column (15) that is integrated in a shower partition (13).
 33. The device, according to claim 19, wherein the shower partition (13) and/or the shower column (15) comprise(s) respectively at least one means that is suitable for spraying shower water (2′, 15′).
 34. The shower installation according to claim 29, wherein the shower space (18) comprises an element (20) that is made for seating and that integrates the housing space (8) that houses the intake pump (5). 